Senior Tories demand cross-party action on social care crisis, warning Theresa May has kicked issue ‘into long grass’

Move comes after the Government broke a promise to outline reform plans by the end of this year – shelving a consultation until next summer

£4bn is needed in the Budget for health and social care, the Chancellor has been told (Getty)

Senior Tories are demanding cross-party action to tackle the social care crisis, one protesting that Theresa May has kicked the issue “into the long grass”.

Former cabinet ministers are among 90 MPs of all parties that have written to the Prime Minister, calling on her to set up a joint convention, arguing the Government has laid bare its inability to act alone.

The move comes after ministers broke a promise to outline reform plans by the end of this year, shelving a consultation until next summer.

Social care policy has been frozen since Ms May was forced to axe her election plans to make homeowners pay more for their care, after they were dubbed a “dementia tax”.

Now the letter from MPs urges her to work with all parties, the public and health and care staff to find a solution, warning: “The need for action is greater now than ever.”

One-third of the MPs who have signed the letter are Conservative, including former cabinet ministers Nicky Morgan and Andrew Mitchell and Sarah Wollaston, chairwoman of the Health Select Committee.

Ms Wollaston said the immediate aim was a “down payment of £4bn” in next Wednesday’s Budget, warning it would be disastrous if the sector had to fund higher pay from within its existing funds.

“The Chancellor must listen to the clear warnings about the consequences for patients if we do not provide an immediate uplift in this Budget,” she said.

After that, it was vital that ministers “stop planning for health and social care in separate silos as this approach is setting us up for failure”.

“Current plans to kick social care into the long grass again, and to separate planning for young and older adults, create even further fragmentation,” the MP warned.

“The simple reality of hung parliament means that all our constituents will be failed if long-term plans for NHS and care funding do not command cross-party support, so better to take a joint approach to planning from the outset and actually deliver.”

Labour MPs who have signed the letter include Liz Kendall, Chuka Umunna, Hilary Benn, Frank Field and Caroline Flint.

Among the Liberal Democrats backing it are party leader Vince Cable, Sir Ed Davey, Tim Farron and Norman Lamb, the Lib Dem health spokesman.

On Thursday, Damian Green, the First Secretary of State, quietly released a statement deferring the publication of a social care green paper until summer 2018.

Chancellor Philip Hammond had promised the move by the end of 2017 – before the election U-turn over the “dementia tax” intervened.

Meanwhile, council leaders have highlighted the ticking timebomb of a £2.3bn annual funding gap by 2020.

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents healthcare organisations, also said promises to reform funding were being “kicked down the road”.

But the Government insisted a cross-party convention was not needed, because MPs would be consulted on social care next year.

A spokesman said: “We have announced a cross-government green paper on care and support for older people with input from a group of independent experts.

“We recognise that there is broad agreement across Parliament that reform for social care is a priority and look forward to hearing a range of views.”